How to Install a Rain Bird Irrigation System

Preparation

• 1

  Stick construction flags or markers into the ground where each designated sprinkler location.

• 2

  Lay down string or spray paint along the ground where you plan to trench.

• 3

  Dig 8- to 12-inch trenches in the ground for the pipes, sprinklers and water valves either by hand or with a trenching machine.

• 4

  Lay the water valves, pipes and sprinklers beside the trenches in their planned locations.

Main Line Connection

• 5

  Turn the valve to the main water line, until it's off. Twist the ends off of the slip-type compression T and measure the T. Cut a section out of the main line following the main line valve, using a PVC pipe cutter, that equals the distance of the T. Wrap Teflon tape around the threads of the two ends of the T in the direction of the thread. Slide the ends from the T onto each open side of the main line, insert the T into the new space and twist the two ends back onto the T, sealing the T to the main line. Always tighten fittings with a wrench, no more than one and a half twists.

• 6

  Roll Teflon tape onto three PVC fittings. Screw one fitting into the open end of the slip-type compression T and the other two into the ends of a PVC shut-off valve. Cut a 3 or 4-inch section of pipe. Always sand down the rough edges of PVC pipe with sandpaper. Brush the ends of the pipe section with PVC primer. Brush glue onto the section ends and the inside of the T fitting and valve fitting. Slide the section into the T, give it a quarter turn, slide the valve fitting onto the section, give it a quarter turn, and hold both connections for 10 to 15 seconds.

• 7

  Turn the shut-off valve off and turn the main water supply back on. If designated by your plan, install a back-flow prevention device just after the shut-off valve.

Valve Manifold Assembly

• 8

  Prime and glue one end of the PVC pipe going from the shut-off valve to the water valves. Slide the pipe into the shut-off valve fitting and hold it there, until it dries. Lay the irrigation controller wire into the trench with the pipe and tape the wire to the pipe.

• 9

  Cut one 3-inch section of PVC pipe and lay it out with the necessary fittings and water valves in the water valve manifold area. Roll Teflon tape around the four fittings and twist them into the "Flow" inlets of the water valves, tightening them with a wrench. Prime and glue the two PVC sections, the shut-off valve pipe end, and prime and glue the fittings. Slip the section into the two fittings between the water valves and slip the shut-off valve pipe into the open water valve inlet fitting. Adjust the fittings so that the water valves sit flat on the ground.

• 10

  Pull the wires from the water valves out. Separate the white wire and two other color-coded wires from the irrigation controller wire bunch and bend the rest back. Strip the exposed wires of the controller wire and the valves about a half-inch. Twist a wire from each valve to the white wire and twist each color-coded wire with the remaining wire from each valve. Screw wire connection easy caps onto each of the three wire bundles and slip the caps with the wires into waterproof nuts for protection.

Yard Installation

• 11

  Prime and glue each of the two pipes that lead from the water valves to each sprinkler zone and insert them into their designated water valve fitting. Properly prime and glue all pipes and fittings within the system together, one by one.

• 12

  Insert a fitting into the PVC pipe at each sprinkler location. Twist a swing-pipe assembly to the inserted fitting and tighten by hand. Screw the sprinkler housing onto the open end of the swing-pipe. Repeat, until all sprinkler housings are connected.

• 13

  Cover the trenches and the system with dirt, confirming that each sprinkler is vertical with its spray head level to the ground.

• 14

  Lower the valve manifold box over the water valve manifold and cover the sides with dirt. Place the lid on the box.

Controller

• 15

  Slip the color-coded wires, used to connect to the valves in the yard, into their designated irrigation controller zone terminals.

• 16

  Slip the white wire into the "Common" terminal.

• 17

  Connect the irrigation controller to the power supply.